It should have been great...

I felt like I rewrote "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" today.  All of these negative things kept happening that just made me want to crawl into bed and avoid everything.

It should have been a great day.  My son and I woke up, had breakfast, and headed out to meet friends at the train station.  We were going to Kawagoe Aquatic Park! 

We arrived at the station a bit early so we could stop by a bakery that has really good sandwiches.  After picking one up to have for lunch, we arrived at the train station about 15 minutes before our scheduled meeting time.  I texted our friends to tell them that we were already on the platform.  Then we waited and waited and waited.  My son was getting antsy that our friends had not arrived as 2 trains passed us by.  When the train that we were supposed to take with our friends arrived, they still were not there.  I then received a text telling me that they had decided to go to a different station (where we needed to change trains) instead.  By the time I read the message, the train doors were closing and we were missing our train. 

I was so irritated.  Why couldn't she have texted me earlier?  We wasted so much time just standing around waiting.  We caught the next train and met her and her son at the next station.  But by that time we had missed the express train and had to wait for the next one. 

Her son proceeded to have a screaming fit on the train.  My anger dissipated because I felt pretty bad for her situation, as I've totally been there.  People were staring.  One guy even got up and moved.

When we arrived at our station, he had calmed down and was back to his usual exuberant self.  We had to wait for 20 minutes for the bus to come to take us to our final destination.  By that point, we were over 45 minutes past our intended arrival time.  I hate being late.  Even though this didn't inconvenience anyone else, it made our commute really long and it was totally unnecessary. 

Kawagoe Aquatic Park was very simple.  Lots of pools, a couple huge slides, and a giant wave pool.  It was pretty old, but still in good shape.  We quickly got changed and hit the water.  The wave pool was calm, as they only have it run for 5-10 minutes every hour.  But we splashed in it for a while.  Then we enjoyed the fountain pool for a while before the special wave time.  We made it back to enjoy the waves, which was a lot of fun. 

All photos from Kawagoe Aquatic Park website. 

I didn't take any photos today!

During a water break, I was talking with one of the moms when I realized my back was hurting pretty bad.  My son decided he was done swimming and just wanted to play with the other kids (park kids), so he changed into his dry clothes.  He had spent only about an hour in the pool.  I decided to change as well, and practically hobbled to the changing room.  My back was have really badly spasms.  Through gritted teeth, I got dressed and back to our mats.  I gave my son some snacks and tried to stretch my back for a bit. 

Suddenly, we started hearing thunder in the distance.  I wasn't concerned because it was really far away.  But, then, there was a bright flash and a simultaneous crack that was so loud.  All the kids leaped into the air and rushed to their mommy, mine included.  I tried to calm him as it was quite shocking.  Right then rain started to pour from the sky.  Announcements over the loud speaker were going on and on about something that I didn't understand.  I looked at my friend and asked "what is going on?"  She replied "we are being evacuated."

Luckily, my bag was already packed.  So, I threw it onto my back while my son hastily put on his flip flops.  I picked him up and he held our mat over our heads as we went to the changing room to be inside a building.  Everything was happening so fast.  Moms were trying to stay positive for their kids, even though it was a really stressful situation. 

For the next 15 minutes we stood in the locker rooms amid the loudspeaker announcements, alarms, and chaos.  I tried to keep my son calm by talking with him and even making a video for daddy to let him know what was going on.

As soon as we noticed the rain had stopped, the crowd started dispersing.  I decided we were going to head home.  My friend had left her stroller by where we had been sitting and they were not letting people back to the pool area just yet.  I asked if she wanted us to stay and wait for her.  She told me to go ahead.  My son and I left and caught the bus.  We only had to wait a few minutes, thank goodness.  By the time I sat down I was in serious pain.  I could hardly move my back was hurting so much.  As we rode, we saw the wind kick back up, the sky get dark again, and the rain return.  I was getting so worried.

We somehow beat the storm and made it from the bus to the train station without getting drenched.  Once on the train, I texted with a friend because I needed to vent.  This summer has sucked.  The soul sucking humidity.  The suffocating temperatures.  The intense and scary storms.  The freaking semis that are so loud and annoying.  Everything.  It has been so horrible.  This day just really emphasized that I hate Japanese summers.  Not dislike.  HATE.  It has been so miserable. 

I've tried so hard to have a fun summer for my son, but it has been really, really hard.  And it isn't over.  Even though he goes back to school on Monday, the atmosphere remains for another couple of weeks.  I don't know how I'm going to survive.  I wanted to have a huge, screaming, crying meltdown right there on the train, just like my friend's son had done earlier in the day. 

But I didn't do that.  Instead I texted with friends that really lifted my spirits and didn't mind my whining.  My friends understood what a horrible, taxing summer it has been and just listened with open ears.

Once I got home, I laid on the couch and put on a movie for my son.  I took some Alieve and iced my back (which was even worse due to the bike ride from the train station to home).  My husband came home and cooked dinner for us.  Now I will go to bed.  Tomorrow will be a better day.  I will work hard to make sure it is filled with laughter.  Even if Japanese summers are terrible, horrible, no good, and very bad, it doesn't have to take the joy out of my life.

Seems a little fishy to me

I constantly see signs for events around town.  I often take a photo of the sign to show my husband, who then finds out additional information for me (unless it is in English, because then I can do it myself).  Since there is always something going on, there is just too much to remember.

In early July I saw an advertisement for an art exhibit, Eco Edo Art Aquarium.  The photos were intriguing and I quickly put the event on my "things I'd like to do" list.  As you can imagine, that list is LONG!

Since my son's summer vacation is wrapping up this week, I really wanted to go out with a bang.  I thought this art exhibit would be fun for him and memorable. 

After a bit of research, I learned this annual exhibit was celebrating it's tenth year.  There were several new pieces each year.  But it is extremely popular.  Everything I read said to avoid weekends, or expect a wait as they limit the number of people allowed into the exhibit at any one time.  That is not my idea of fun, as I am getting more and more tired of the crowds in Tokyo.  At least people are polite.  But, I'm still ready to have elbow room once in a while.

My son's school was open for pool play time today from 10:10 until 11:40.  He got to see his teacher, play with some classmates, and swim for an hour and a half while I relaxed at home.  After lunch, we headed over to Nihonbashi to see the exhibit.

We bought tickets on the 4th floor of the building and then headed up to the 5th floor to see the exhibit.  There were lots of people, but I wouldn't say it was crowded.  Just as I expected on a Thursday afternoon. 

The exhibit is dark.  The walls, floor, and ceiling are painted black.  But it doesn't matter, because all you can focus on are the lit up tanks placed all over the room filled with goldfish and koi.  As I walked into the room I stopped short.  My eyes took a minute to take the room in and process. 

The huge acrylic tanks were in various shapes, including a globe with etched countries, polyhedrons, and stacks of triangles. 

To keep things interesting, the lights shining on the tanks kept changing colors every so often.  The fish seemed to change color as the lights transitioned from one color to the next, which was really neat. 

There is no way for me to pick a favorite piece.  There were so many interesting things to see. 

The "live" screen was incredible. 

As were the various bowls of fish.  The fish were so interesting in these bowls.  And the bowls were artwork themselves - Edo-kiriko (a type of cut glass from Japan) and Kutani porcelain (multicolored over glazed ceramics). 

The tank with the prisms was so much fun. 

If you want to see more images from the event, here is the official video.

Honestly, it was exactly what I expected from a modern Japanese art instillation.  Simple, yet stunning.  Intertwining the natural with modern materials.  Bold colors that grabbed your attention, but were not overused.  And simply stunning.

Thanks, but I'll take the long way

The park moms are planning a day trip to a water park.  It sounds like something my son would enjoy so I am planning on joining the fun.  It would take us an hour and 15 minutes to take the train to the water park, or less than 30 minutes to drive.  So, one of the moms organized a carpool, as many families don't own cars. 

As soon as I knew who would be driving my son and me, I reached out to the driver.  I needed to confirm that there would be room for my son's car seat to be installed in her car.  Any time my son gets into a car, he has to ride in a car seat.  It is a family rule.  Safety first.  When we went house hunting in Japan, he rode in a car seat we bought in Japan even though he hated it.  When we preplanned using a taxi, my husband carried that car seat and used a locker in the train station.  We ended up bringing our car seat from the US just to simplify our trips there.  I've received a couple looks, but I don't care.  It is important to me. 

Photo found on: amazon.com

The park mom didn't have room for his seat because she keeps her backseat laid out flat so her girls can nap in the car whenever they want or need.  Although it made me think back to family trips when I was a kid, often sleeping on the floor of my mom's van on a road trip, it wasn't okay with me to have my son do the same.

Japan did not have car seat laws until April 2000.  For the past 18 years, children age 6 and under are required to ride in a car seat.  There are recommendations as to what type of seat, but the law only states a child must ride in a car seat.  The penalty for breaking this law is... a verbal warning and the possibility of loosing one point on your driver's license.  (It's super complicated, but basically: when you receive 6 points your license will be suspended for 30 days.  Points can disappear after 1 year as long as you don't keep accruing points.)

When I lived in Japan in 2002/2003, it was not uncommon for me to see parents holding babies in their arms in the front seat of the car.  I regularly watched children playing in the back seat, completely unrestrained.  I still see this frequently.  It is also still common place for women to buckle themselves into taxis and simply wear their babies in front carriers, like an Ergo or sling.  I watch with my American eyes in horror, terrified for the possibility of an accident.

When I became a mother, I suddenly understood the importance of car seats more than I ever had before.  My son is the most precious person in my world.  The thought of him getting injured puts a lump in my throat and sends chills down my spine.  I cannot fathom getting into a car and not making him as safe as possible. 

I would like to note that I am the mom that never child proofed her house.  My laid back son didn't need the restraints and I felt perfectly fine not locking anything up.  But in a car, I am not in control.  I don't have the ability to stop another vehicle from careening into mine, no matter how defensive of a driver I am.  I just wanted to point this out to say I'm not a safety fanatic, but there are certain things that rise above others.

I have had more than one person say to me "you weren't restrained in a car when you were a kid and you turned out just fine."  Yes I did.  Thank goodness.  But not everyone was that lucky.  The child death rate in the US in 1987 by a vehicle in motion was 4 times what it was in 2017.  Due to current car seat laws in the US and much safer car seats, more children are surviving car accidents.  I'm not even talking about less injuries, I'm talking about life.  A 2014 study in vehicle safety in Japan reported 2 out of 3 kids under the age of 6 that were killed in car accidents were not even in car seats. 

Car seats are important (and having them installed correctly is SO IMPORTANT - I've read reports that the Japanese government estimates 60% of car seats are installed incorrectly).

I decided to decline the ride.  My son and I will take the train instead.  I told the mom that in America, we take car seat safety very seriously and that is something that I don't waver on.  I learned a long time ago that me talking about car seat safety in Japan will fall on deaf ears.  For a country that has the reputation for following rules, it is shocking when certain rules are completely disregarded.  My son will always ride in a car seat while in a car no matter what country we are in.  It is just that important to me.

Pop ups in Ginza

Several months ago, my son and I went to lunch at the Hungry Caterpillar Café in Ginza.  We had so much fun, we wanted to go again.  The themed café is actually a "pop up" restaurant.  It is normally a café called "Sunday Brunch", but has transformed itself into a themed restaurant for a couple months.

The special menu and decorations will be gone on September 1.  We were running out of time!  This morning we decided we needed to go or it would never happen.  So, we hopped on the train and went to Ginza. 

We made it to the café in less than an hour.  We had to wait to be seated since we didn't have a reservation.  I guess everyone was feeling the pressure to dine at the fun restaurant before it closed. 

After looking at the menu, my son and I decided to share the sample plate, which depicts the caterpillar's big eating day (Saturday).  It came with an assortment of savory items.  The sunshine was actually buttered toast with a face drawn on it.  The salad was simply a salad that complimented the meal nicely.  The "chocolate cake" was actually a rice pilaf topped with a cherry tomato.  The "ice cream cone" was steamed vegetables and colored mashed potatoes inside a real ice cream cone.  The caterpillar was a cookie.  The "lollypop" was actually a hamburger patty covered in cheese and topped with a swirl of colored mashed potatoes.  And the cupcake was... a cupcake.

We also enjoyed the good morning jelly tea, which was a hibiscus tea with raspberries and gelatin. 

The café was so much fun.  My son and I discussed our favorite parts of the book and what we would eat if we were caterpillars.  We even made up a short story about what kind of adventure we would have as caterpillars.

We didn't eat any of the cakes, but they sure were cute!

After the café, I wanted to wander around a bit.  Just 2 blocks away from the café, we came across a huge aquarium tank in a small plaza.  After investigating a bit, it turns out it was a pop up display sponsored by Sony and several other organizations.  They are trying to create awareness about the destruction of coral reefs and are supporting efforts to preserve them. 

My son wanted to do their stamp-rally, where you collect stamps at various stations and collect a prize for going to all the stops.  This would include visiting three locations in Ginza, all within a short walking distance of each other.  We didn't have anything else planned for the day, so it was fine with me. 

Each stop had amazing aquariums to view.  I couldn't believe we were looking at these fish in Ginza.  It was so neat to see not just the fish, but also the beautiful coral in each of the tanks.

Pop ups are very popular in Japan.  We have enjoyed pop up cafes, pie shops, and restaurants, as well as checked out many cute pop up shops.  There is a culture of urgency that seems to thrive here.  Limited edition everything is the name of the game.  Do it now or miss out forever. 

A night of reflection

August 27th, 2017 was a big day for our family.  It was on this day that we boarded a plane to move to Japan.  It was one year ago that we departed the starting line for adventures unknown.

It is really hard to comprehend a year.  We have had so many ups and downs.  Adventures were balanced with quiet days at home.  Everyone started a new place of business - my husband in his office, while my son and I both attended school.  We have felt joy and longing.  And, maybe most importantly, we've grown as a family into a stronger unit.

My husband brought me flowers to commemorate surviving a year in Japan.  Just a small celebratory token for us to enjoy for the next few days.  Shortly after he came home, we sat down to dinner.  I put the flowers in a vase on the table.  We then sat and ate and discussed the year we just had.

We talked about how much our son loves his school and how he's so good at making new friends.  My husband reported how much he loves feeling so safe and being able to eat so much really good Japanese food.  And I mentioned how incredible it has been learning about and sharing the culture with our son.  We've had so much fun going to festivals and celebrating holidays.

There have been lots of things that have been hard.  Our son thinks there are too many people in train stations and on the trains.  My husband does not like his commute and misses our chickens and yard much more than he thought he would.  And me, well, I don't think there are any surprises there.  I get so frustrated with the language barrier.  I pine for my animals, yard, garden, and house in the US.  Sometimes I think my heart is going to burst from how much I miss my friends and family back home.  But we work together and get through rough days and find things that bring us joy.

We have created some amazing new memories.  My husband has been able to share hanabi with our son - both small and big.  We all had such a great time in Shikinejima, exploring some of Japan's natural beauty.  New Year's was extremely special for our family.  This is just the tip of the iceberg.

Having friends and family come visit us has been a highlight.  After all distance make the heart grow fonder, right?  It was so much fun showing them a little bit of our new world.

So many emotions have been bubbling up recently.  One year into this crazy adventure called life in Japan.  Today's weather was an awful lot like our emotional year.  We reached a high of 36°C/97°F in the afternoon.  Then my husband walked home in the pouring rain, barely missing the incredible lighting storm.  Now it is calm.  The city is taking a slow, deep breath after a crazy day.

It has been a rollercoaster year since that flight.  It has not been easy to say the least.  But together, we can do anything, including living in Japan.

Are you hungry?

A while back we attended the Sunflower Festival in Kiyose, a town in north western Tokyo Prefecture.  I was so excited about spending the day in a field of flowers, I didn't take the time to realize my husband actually had ulterior motives for going to Kiyose.  After going to see the beautiful flowers, we headed back to the train station to eat lunch. 

My husband enjoys watching a Japanese show called "Solitary Gourmet".  It is a show about a businessman that travels around Japan and stops to eat in various restaurants.  Even though it is a drama, he eats in real restaurants and orders from their actual menus.  If you like to watch people eat, this is the show for you.  Have I mentioned that most Japanese TV does not appeal to me?  For the most part, I find it incredibly annoying - talk show after talk show after talk show all discussing an adventure someone else is having or videos of accidents and eating.  I would venture to say shows featuring people eating (not cooking, but eating) is probably the most common type of entertainment show here.  It is just not my cup of tea.  But my husband loves it.  So, it is on in our house a LOT. 

I've noticed my husband watching various episodes of "Solitary Gourmet" on Netflix.  I've never watched a whole episode, but he seems to enjoy it.  In Season 4, Episode 1, the main character goes to Kiyose.  He finds a restaurant named Miyuki Shokudo, an older place with the menu on the walls and huge portions of traditional Japanese diner food.  Shokudo means diner, so the restaurant is Miyuki's diner.

It was less than a block from the train station.  It was pretty easy to spot with it's red awning in the front of the restaurant, as well as the line to get in.  Even though the episode was filmed in 2014, since it is on Netflix people still flock to go here.  The show has been so popular that the restaurant actually made a special set menu with exactly what was ordered by the actor.

There was a menu outside the door which allowed us to think about what we wanted to eat as we waited.  Everything on the menu was less than $10.

We waited a good 20 minutes to go inside the cramped diner.  If there was a single seat available at a table, that seat was filled with a single diner.  They worked hard to pack everyone in as quickly as possible.  As soon as we were seated, I realized people could smoke in the restaurant.  I was not impressed.  But I preserved because my husband really wanted to eat there.

My husband knew what he wanted, but still took a few minutes to peruse the menu that was posted item by item on little cards posted on the wall with pushpins.  The wall was covered in menu items.  I doubt they have removed a single item from their menu since opening in over 40 years ago. 

We ordered a small omurice for our son. The omelet covered fried rice featuring ketchup never gets old in his book. 

He decided to have the tonkatsu curry.  Fried pork cutlet on a bed of rice, covered in a Japanese curry proved to be a huge caloric masterpiece.  I really enjoyed my bite.  But I don't think I could eat very much of it.  It was so heavy!  And it came with a side salad, miso soup, and pickles.

Knowing that I can't eat very much when I am near cigarettes, my husband ordered a braised fish for me.  It was the softest, most flavorful fish.  The broth was a combination of fish broth (dashi), sake, mirin, and soy sauce - the classic Japanese combination.  I could have eaten so much of it!  My son asked for taste after taste.  My lunch came with hijiki (salad featuring small black seaweed), miso soup, salad, rice, and potato salad.  It was supposted to come with natto as well (fermented soy beans), but she asked if I wanted it and took it back to the kitchen with her.  Instead she brought be a lovely umeboshi - a pickled plum that I love.  It is very, very uncommon for restaurants to allow for any modifications, so I was very thankful for the swap.

The portions were huge.  Much bigger than I think I've ever seen in Japan.  The flavors were incredible.  And the atmosphere was... interesting.  I was a little worried the building was going to burn down with us in it between all the over used electrical outlets, thick layers of grease on the walls, and packed room.  But we survived with full bellies and stories to tell about the time we ate in a "Solitary Gourmet" restaurant.

More matsuri fun

Okay.  I'll admit it.  I've been avoiding Japan.  It is just so hot and I'm so miserable.  I can't stand the heat and humidity.  I just turn into a whiney puddle of sweat and irritation.  I haven't been living to the fullest because I am hiding in the air conditioning.

My son is not impressed.  He begs me, "momma, let's go outside and play!"  I just don't want to.  It is so miserable out there right now.  We will have a day here or there where the weather isn't too extreme every once in a while.  We live it up on those days, taking full advantage of the break.  Yesterday's high was 31°C/88°F, which was actually a really nice break.  But today we were back up to 35°C/95°F, which was just miserable. 

But today was a Saturday.  The pressure from both my husband and son to venture out into the heat won me over.  I know I've been missing too much fun while staying indoors.  There was a community sponsored matsuri in a small park near our home.  Matsuri are Shinto events according to my husband and therefore are always held at the shrine.  A community sponsored matsuri was something different for him and he wanted to see if it really was different.  After a short discussion, we decided to attend.

As we walked out of the house, I felt like I was smacked in the face with the heat and humidity.  But we continued on, destined for some family entertainment.  A short bike ride later, and we arrived at the park.  We wandered through the booths to see the children's games (mostly scooping fish or toys out of water using rice paper wands) and all the food (yakitori, yakisoba, hard candy with fruit inside, and hot dogs on a stick covered in ketchup).  It was all pretty standard fare, but fun nonetheless.

At the end of the row of booths, we happened upon some children carrying a mikoshi (a portable shrine).  Mikoshi are usually pretty large and carried around the festival area by grown men and women.  But this one was quite small for the kids to haul.  I loved seeing their cute hapi (happy with a skip sound in the middle) and hearing them shout "Wa-shoy!  Wa-shoy!" as they walked along. 

Once the mikoshi had passed by, we spotted a friend that explained our son could also help carry the mikoshi.  She told us where to sign up and that they had the hapi for him to wear.  We went over to the blue tent and my husband filled out the form with our name and address.  He was then given a bag with the hapi, a long piece of fabric to tie around his waist, and a headband. 

My heart melts and I get all mushy whenever I see my son dressed up in traditional outfits.  I tried not to fuss too much, but he was so cute dressed in the traditional matsuri garb.  Plus, I'm totally bias in my appreciation of traditional Japanese outfits and my opinion that my son is the cutest kid ever.

Soon, they called my son and other kids up to carry the mikoshi through the festival.  He excitedly grabbed hold and listened to instructions.  As soon as they started walking, I could hear his eager calls "Wa-shoy!  Wa-shoy!"  They carried it through the festival, with adults leading the way.  There was one adult clapping wooden blocks together to keep time that also added to the fun of the mikoshi. 

Afterwards, my son told us how fun it was to carry the mikoshi.  It was a really big deal for him.  He felt so strong being able to help carry it down the street.

I was so glad they convinced me to leave the air conditioning.  Although it was hot and humid and gross, we had so much fun celebrating and enjoying the summer festival.  And my husband found out that not all matsuri's are held in association with a shrine, yet they are exactly the same regardless of location.